Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 123
संप्राप्योत्तरमंशेन देहं त्यजति पूर्वकम् । मरणात्प्रार्थना दुःखमधिकं हि विवेकिनः
saṃprāpyottaramaṃśena dehaṃ tyajati pūrvakam | maraṇātprārthanā duḥkhamadhikaṃ hi vivekinaḥ
إذا بلغ المرء القِسم التالي (التجسّد التالي) ترك الجسد السابق. ولذوي التمييز، فإن ألم التضرّع والاستعطاف أشدّ من الموت نفسه.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)
Scene: A discerning ascetic-like figure watches a scene of a person pleading before the wealthy; behind them, a subtle depiction of the jīva stepping from an old body to a new one, emphasizing that dignity and dharma outlast the body.
FAQs
The wise see rebirth as continuity and value inner dignity; dependence and desperate pleading are spiritually corrosive.
No tīrtha is specified; the verse is a general instruction on saṃsāra and discernment.
None directly; it implies cultivating viveka through sādhana—worship, japa, and charity—so one need not fall into helplessness.